Yeah but what I mean is that a physio won't give her better result, he will give her advice, show her exercices that's for sure but she has to make a commitment with herself to be at 100% focused on tennis. But we will see in 2013 what she'll do, hopefully she will really listen to him and won't be afraid of change and making the necessary sacrifice.

Statements and responses were always kind of the same, a little hasty. It is always a rush before the match, after the match. With Ana Ivanovic I spent an afternoon in Belgrade with her parents who have been there by her side throughout the interview. On the line was her manager from London.

Mr. Gavin Versi had confidence in our conversation that he was honest. Relaxed. Pleasant. Ana Ivanovic we looked different from all her previous encounters with the media. So rarely understand those from whom we expect to win only, and often ruthlessly auditorium because he expects only victory and defeat is rarely understood and efforts.

I think she's there, 100% motivated and prepared for new success, we just have to wait until the season starts.

I agree. Her comeback was going slowly, but she is there now, I can feel that. 2009 was the worst year of her career, 2010 and 2011 were years when she was struggling with the questions: how, when, why... that is a hard time for every person, because you have to overcame some personal thoughts and fears. 2012 was absolutely good year for Ana, her improvement was visible, for most of the year she was loosing only to top 5 players, except some defeats to weaker players in Asia at the end of the year. She is now 25, it was a long road, but she is there. Her ranking is the best since 2009 and I feel she had to grow up a little bit more (just like me) and to relive her self confidence after some tough times (just like me). You see, I am not only a huge fan of Ana Ivanovic, but also we went through tough periods at the same time, and I always had that silly feeling when I watched her matches: "Oh Ana, don't worry, you've lost today, you'll be great again. I understand what you are going through, but we will make it. We'll be great again..." And yeah, finally, after two and a half years I am getting near to be as great as I used to be, and so does Ana. Love her.

THEIR athleticism aside, travellers who caught a glimpse of two Europeans travelling on a flight from Perth to Melbourne in early 2011 might have assumed they were fun-loving backpackers.

Separated by two rows in economy class, the brunette waited until her friend had fallen asleep before sneaking up to him and clapping loudly. Hysterics followed at the statuesque Serb's over-the-top reaction.

Later, the young woman snoozed for a while using her friend's shoulder as a support. It was an intimacy of close friends rather than that of a couple.

With passengers on the packed plane seemingly oblivious to their identities, the pair were left to themselves. A year later and it almost certainly would have been different.

Just three weeks after that trip, the young man -- Novak Djokovic -- claimed the first of three grand slams for the year in establishing himself as the dominant tennis player in the world. Ana Ivanovic, his mate, arguably was even more famous at the time.

It is that friendship that Ivanovic touched on yesterday when the pair joined forces for Serbia's opening Hopman Cup victory over Italy in Perth.

As toddlers, the pair threw sand in each others' faces. Later they swatted backhands. Before play yesterday, they embraced on the outdoor practice court before going about their business in impressive fashion.

"We met each other when we were four years old. We didn't even play tennis at the time," Ivanovic said.

"My father and his uncle knew each other from school days, so we were playing in the sand and it is just really, really funny to see him do so well now. It is really nice to catch up and obviously he is my favourite doubles partner.

"(He was) always funny, always making jokes. You know boys. He was always running around the whole time.

"Then we played some tournaments, some under-10s, under-12s back in Serbia, then we were travelling together, so it is nice to catch up and we also have some real memories."

Djokovic, who only arrived in Perth late on Sunday night after adding to his riches with a victory in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi, certainly clowned around during a dead mixed doubles against Andreas Seppi and Francesca Schiavone.

But he was less jovial when, while signing autographs following his 6-3 6-4 defeat of Seppi, a barrier gave away under the weight of several signature hunters and scraped his leg.

The word's best player limped from the court, with a post-match press conference cancelled as he had the leg assessed before the mixed doubles, claimed by the Italians 7-6(7-4) 6-4.

A press conference that had been planned following the Serb's singles win was understandably cancelled given the circumstances surrounding the leg worry.

Instead, Djokovic released a statement saying simply: "I am good. It was a bit of a shock and I am glad that the children involved are OK. I am fine."

Djokovic and Ivanovic's preparation for the mixed teams tournament has differed. Ivanovic, who has relatives living in Melbourne, arrived early and has spent the past 10 days training in blistering conditions in Perth.

Given the temperatures have soared above 40C -- American John Isner practised in 42C heat during the Serbia versus Italy tie yesterday -- it took little time for Ivanovic to reach peak fitness and she blitzed Schiavone early in the battle between two former French Open champions.

While the second set was tighter, Ivanovic was always in control in the 6-0 6-4 win. Djokovic, in contrast, looked a little weary throughout his clash with Seppi.

Having only arrived hours earlier from Abu Dhabi, where matches are played in the cool of night, he struggled with both jet lag and heat and admitted he felt like he was "dream walking" through the match.

But, when pressured on serve in the second set, Djokovic delivered with a backhand winner and large serve to stave off break points on the way to a 6-3 6-4 win.

It is the first step towards providing redemption at the Hopman Cup.

While it carries less prestige than the Davis or Fed cups, this pair is desperate to claim the title for Serbia given their friendship and seemed certain to do so two years ago until Ivanovic was forced to withdraw from the final -- the day before they shared the flight to Melbourne -- with a stomach injury.

"It is a big goal for me and Novak as well. We have come close a few times and the last time here it was very, very disappointing for me," she said. "I really hope I can play better this year and help Novak and hopefully together we can get the trophy."

Ivanovic held a more immediate goal. The Hopman Cup ball on New Year's Eve is one of the largest society events for the year in Perth and the Serbian held a task for her teammate.

"I remember the first time we played here as 18-year-olds and Novak, he got up on stage and played the guitar and sang a song. I am going to dare him to do that again," she said.

Given the events on court earlier, it is a fair bet Ivanovic did not tell Djokovic to "break a leg" before his appearance on stage.

She was the sport’s glamourised world No.1 in 2008, but since then the bubbly Serb has faced a growing game of power hitters on the tennis court. In 2010, she dropped as low as No.64 in the rankings, only to climb back to No.13 to finish the 2012 season.

Strengths: Ivanovic’s bread and butter shot is what won her the French Open in 2009: her forehand. The 25 year old can strike one of the meanest and most efficient balls on the pro tour, and her game comes together when she’s utilising her biggest stroke to her advantage. When the forehand is on, the rest of Ivanovic’s game flows aptly behind it.

Weaknesses: There is still weakness to be found in Ivanovic’s movement, which can be second-class when she’s scrambling. During the course of the 2012 season, tennis insiders watched as the Serb noticeably lost body weight, leaving many to question whether she’ll be able to continue to hit the ball with the same kind of oomph she has in the past. An attackable second serve leaves her vulnerable as well.

Opportunities: After winning the French Open in 2009, Ivanovic went 17 major tournaments without making the quarterfinals, a streak she finally broke at the US Open in 2012. While she was a finalist in Melbourne in 2008, she hasn’t been past the fourth round since then, meaning she can only build on her fourth round appearance from a year ago. While many have been waiting to see flashes of the old Ana in full flight again, it’ll take all the pieces of the puzzle to come together in order to beat a higher-ranked player.

Threats: Sans a Fed Cup win over Petra Kvitova in November, Ivanovic didn’t register any wins over players ranked higher than her following her run to the Indian Wells semifinals in early March. Bigger hitting girls know what to do against Ana: simply out hit her. And those who play the backboard game usually try to force her into errors. What Ivanovic has to do is get over the mental hump she’s faced since falling from her perch as No.1.

Mary Joe Fernandez, former world No. 4 and tennis analyst:

I thought there were moments where the old Ana was back in 2012 and she might have a breakthrough. But she still needs to have that one big result, that one big win to catapult her back to the top of the game. She has a great game – a huge forehand. She’s started to play to her strengths more recently, which has helped her. The game is there, but her fall from the top was due to her getting away from running around and using her forehand. With her toss better, she can serve pretty hard. If she’s looking to move around the ball and playing smart, she’s right there.

Ana Ivanovic has shown in Perth recently to be ready for her first grand slam this year, the Australian Open. She believes she can be again at the top of women’s tennis.

At the moment she is in Melbourne finalizing preparations for the first grand slam in 2013 in temperatures of 40 degrees Centigrade. She has high goals and knows what she should do to return among the ten best.

Q: Are you ready for the first grand slam?

‘I am very much motivated for the Australian Open. I had a good week in Perth behind me although it ended with disappointment. The loss in the finals was difficult to me, but generally I think I played well. I like to be in Australia and play at the Melbourne Park with my friends and relatives watching me. I am in good shape and I think positively’.
Q: In 2008 you played in the finals. If you meet with Sharapova again, can we expect that you win this time?

‘That would definitely be my goal. Maria is a great player, but there are other very good players, at least ten of them capable of winning this tournament’.

Q: Once you said you would like to live in Australia and buy a house there?

‘That is certainly something I would like but at the moment I am not thinking about it, perhaps I shall do it after my career of tennis player is over’.

Q: You have many relatives in Melbourne and you feel there at home. Also you are surrounded there with many Serbian fans. How much does that mean to you?

‘The support here means a lot to me. I am relaxed and feel at home what is obvious in my results here’.

HOPMAN Cup tournament director Steve Ayles has made popular Serbian duo Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic his key targets for next summer's tournament and will begin preliminary discussions with the pair at the Australian Open this week.

Djokovic and Ivanovic are sure to be crowd favourites if they team up for a fourth time, after coming desperately close to winning a maiden Hopman Cup title for their nation in an epic decider against Spain at Perth Arena last weekend.

World No.1 Djokovic gave Serbia a 1-0 lead by winning the men's singles, before Spain triumphed in the women's singles and mixed doubles to win the unique teams tournament for the fourth time.

Ayles said the Serbians' near-miss would make them an even bigger attraction next year if they returned to Perth.

"The thing we were all saying afterwards was `it's still unfinished business'. They'll be prime targets for 2014," he said.

"We'll be seeing them at the Australian Open next week and we'll commence that dialogue.

"Djokovic is No.1 on the court, but in my mind he's also a No.1 bloke and a great entertainer as well. They're such a fun couple."

Australia, which almost made the final despite being seeded bottom of eight teams, could field a stronger outfit next year.

Organisers are hopeful of lining up a dream team of Bernard Tomic and Sam Stosur, who could both potentially finish the year in the top 10.

The chances of luring Stosur, the nation's highest-ranked player of either gender, have increased due to her continuing struggles in Australia.

The 2011 US Open champion has been dumped in the first round of the Brisbane and Sydney internationals for the past two seasons, damaging her preparation for her home grand slam.

Perth is likely to appeal as an alternative option for Stosur next summer because she would be guaranteed three singles matches.

Organisers will again chase Swiss legend Roger Federer, who won the Hopman Cup as a 19-year-old in 2001 with Martina Hingis. Federer, 31, is cutting back on the number of tournaments he plays and is considered unlikely to come.

Ayles was happy with the overall attendance of 104,468 for the first Hopman Cup held at the Arena and the record TV ratings on Channel 10.

Spain's victory in the final was a great spectacle, but the mixed doubles climax had few viewers because it finished just before 4am on TV around the country.

Ayles said playing the final earlier in the day next year would be considered, but it was likely to remain at 5.45pm.

ANA IVANOVIC: Well, to be honest, I expected tough match because we played few times in the past. I also lost once against her.

I really wanted to make sure I work hard for each point and try to take away time for her because she likes to strike the ball and counter punch and use the pace of opponents.

I was really pleased with my performance overall today.

Q. How do you feel about the second round?

ANA IVANOVIC: It's a Grand Slam. You want to take it one match at a time. It's great I have a day in between to reset and prepare and plan for the next round.

There is no easy matches. But it's a challenge. I enjoy it. I really hope I can perform well.

Q. With preparation, the beginning of the year, do you feel you can go to the end in a Grand Slam like this?

ANA IVANOVIC: It's hard talking about it after first round.

Last year, quarterfinals of US Open was the first time I play quarters since winning French Open. So it's very hard talking about winning.

But I definitely feel my game, it's at a higher level than it was. There is tough opponents out there, lots of girls playing well. I feel like I can challenge all of them.

It's going to be a good test to see how far I can go.

Q. How do you feel your serve is going at the moment? Are you feeling confident with it?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, no, it's still a work in progress. Actually last week in Perth it was really good for most of the matches. I was very pleased with that.

In practice it's always perfect. In matches it gets away from you sometimes. It's kind of normal.

I try not to think too much about it, take my time for the next one. Many times if I have a bad toss, I serve a good serve the next one. Like I said, that's a work in progress. I'm happy I'm making more first serves and it's more aggressive, too.

Q. Your ankle is okay?

ANA IVANOVIC: Well, I'm definitely going to put some ice and do some treatments on it tonight. Hopefully it's fine. It didn't swell.

Melbourne - Australian Open has started to pick up steam, but that's no reason to forget the other important events. One of them is surely Fed Cup in Serbia which starts in less than a month against Slovakia in Nis (9-10. February).

If there are no unforeseen circumstances, our team will head to Cairo Ana Ivanovic. before half-decade best tennis player in the world, is determined to be part of the team that will make Serbia the first trophy in this competition.

Good mood after a convincing victory over the Hungarian woman Zinc, the best Serbian tennis player spoke optimistically about the challenges ahead (early in the morning playing against Tajvanke Chan), but the joke on their own account.

- The plan is to play - even though he says Ana will therefore have a very hard program, because it goes from Melbourne to Pattaya City and in Nis, and then followed back to Asia, to tournaments in Doha and Dubai.

Can a title this year?

- That's the goal, to one day bring home the trophy as the men in the Davis Cup. Last year we were really close, but we have not succeeded much to blame for that. We have a very young team and we have a chance to win.

Serbia this year to be able to play all the matches at home?

- This is great, because last year we had just bad luck that we've always played away from home. now but it will all come back so it might be destined to remain in our cup.

Jelena Jankovic will play in Nis, and the question is whether it will be in later matches. Will you now be the team leader?

- Selector should be the leader, and we players to be assenting. only way to win the title. We have a great atmosphere in the team, in Prague we got along fine. 's best to keep it up and get to the World Cup. selector But this that has to be stronger, to be a true leader.

There will be a lot of matches this year?

- All we are trying to play more for the team but was a very difficult time because the season is incredibly long, especially because of past Olympics. Due to the Fed Cup finals we further extend the season. We represent your country in tournaments and the Olympics , and the Fed Cup, and Hopman Cup. Sometimes it's really hard to choose, our people sometimes do not realize how hard it is and we have to decide, and to preserve our body.

Last fall there was a lot of talk about your weight, you lose weight. How?

- It strengthened me, look what I've got muscles! - Ivanovic laughed, pointing to squeeze the biceps. - I've been working on increasing the muscle mass, the explosion. Zlatko My coach has done his job well, you can see it on the field, it gives me a lot of confidence. We've known for a long time, but we started to work regularly in September.

How do you spend your free time?

- I have not had a lot, because I practiced a lot these days, a lot of work to stretch and recovery, prevention. went to the zoo, it was nice for a change, was out shopping, cinemas, restaurants.

V. Velickovic

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Staff as Djokovic

Ana Ivanovic today surrounded by his coaching staff that the number and composition reminiscent of Djokovic.

- These are the head coach Nigel Sears, sparring partner Joy Syriana, Branko Penić physiotherapist and fitness coach Zlatko Novković that alone is not here. Stretching and speed of recovery are very important and contribute to the safety and better game and better preparation and training for the match - Ivanovic said.

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I'm too emotional

Ivanovic admits that it is not always strong enough in the field.

- I am pretty emotional player. Sometimes it can hinder me, but also to help. trying to change, to be more aggressive and less emotional, but it's hard.

Q. Do you feel okay right now? Is there something you can take away from tonight's match?

ANA IVANOVIC: Obviously I'm disappointed. I really feel I was mis-timing a lot of balls in the first set. I started playing better in the second set, but she played a good match. She's a really tough player.

And, you know, rankings don't lie. She's there because she deserves it.

Q. Do you feel like you're getting up to that level?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, definitely. I really felt like I could challenge her, and it was really frustrating in the second set. I had so many chances. Even in the beginning of the first, I thought some of the games in the beginning could have gone either way.

That's the frustrating thing. That was the frustrating thing tonight. But she's that kind player that makes you work. She doesn't give you much. I feel I'm on a high level. I just have to prove that and make that step of beating top players.

Q. Did you feel like she played better than you expected her to? She didn't miss any balls out there all night.

ANA IVANOVIC: I kind of expected that because we played a lot of times in the past. But I was just very surprised at the speed of the balls, especially in the beginning. It took some time for me to adjust. I always felt I was too far from the ball, and I was mis-hitting lots of balls.

Sort of in the second set I started moving forward a little more. Then she was changing rhythm, as well. So, yeah, I guess that's she is where she is.

Q. When you say you're surprised by the speed, was she hitting harder than you thought or softer?

ANA IVANOVIC: No, it was quite softer. I had to move a lot forward. I wasn't doing that enough in the first set and I wasn't staying low enough on my shots, especially on the forehands. I was pulling out of my shots too early and I was mis-hitting a lot.

Q. She's not known for somebody who is a really big server. She had seven aces tonight. Do you think her serve is an under-respected part of her game?

ANA IVANOVIC: I think her game overall is like that. She sort of, you know, gives you time, and then all of a sudden she goes for it. She's placing it really well. She's obviously very talented and has great hands. She was placing the serves really well, and it's hard to read it. She can do either side of ball toss, so I guess that's why she's successful at it.

Q. I know you talked about wanting to develop upper body strength. How do you go about doing that? Hit the weight room?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, just basically do the gym. Yeah, just repetitions, yeah, some weights.

Q. Bench pressing or...

ANA IVANOVIC: Just some dumbbells, free weights, and lots of push ups.

Q. How many push ups can you do now at a time?

ANA IVANOVIC: About 15 maybe (smiling). I wouldn't go challenge now.

Q. Is it frustrating for you? You get to the fourth round, and I suppose the highs of your career sort of four or five years ago, you are always defined by that. Is it frustrating that people keep harkening back to the French Open and runner up here at the Australian Open?

ANA IVANOVIC: Well, it is frustrating because I feel like I create chances for myself again. I feel a few years back when I was losing in the second and third rounds of Grand Slams, that was the level then. And yet I cannot sort of make that step, that sort of breakthrough.

Yeah, I guess sometimes results don't come as early as you expect them. Sometimes it takes time, you know, for a few things to fall in place.

I definitely feel my game is in a higher level than it was over the last few years.

Q. That keeps you going?

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, definitely. Definitely. That's what still drives me, to play and compete. I want to compete for big titles in big tournaments because I feel my game is still there. You know, I have strength to do so.

Q. Do you think Agnieszka can challenge Serena, Sharapova, Azarenka for a Grand Slam title? Is she on the same level?

ANA IVANOVIC: Well, she took Serena into third set in Wimbledon, in grass. I think she definitely can.

You know, she's a player, it's no secret, who doesn't make too many winners, but she has good hands. She can really get the opponents to feel a little awkward, you know, make you go for too much.

You know, that's her strength.

Q. On your strength thing, your serve, is that part of it? You don't quite have the velocity you had earlier in your career. Is it all about upper body strength?

ANA IVANOVIC: Well, no, it's just overall strength. It's lots of repetitions. Tennis, it's very physical, and you do hit a lot of forehands or serves, sort of high shots. You need that strength to put behind the ball so you can generate more pace and power.

Serve, it's also a lot of technique. I still can serve pretty hard out there. But, you know, it's just something I really feel I need to work, and a little more explosivity also.